First, you want to be sure you can actually control the horse's shoulders and hips. It's so much easier to teach the side-pass when the horse can turn over its haunches and over its forehand when asked. Practice a few circles on the forehand (moving the haunches around so that the back legs are crossing over each other and the front end stays stationary) and on the haunches (rear stays stationary and front legs cross over). Once you've got those down pat, move to a wall or fence and ask front end, hind end, front end, hind end, until the horse is moving sideways smoothly. Keep in mind it's more difficult for your horse to bend in the direction it's sidepassing, so if they are a little crooked at first, it's alright.

Since the wall/fence is there to keep the horse from going forward, try not to tug on the halter anymore than you have do. I hold onto it and stand at the horse's side, facing the horse's rear, and barely nudge the horse's nose toward me as I ask it to step to the side.

First, you want to be sure you can actually control the horse's shoulders and hips. It's so much easier to teach the side-pass when the horse can turn over its haunches and over its forehand when asked. Practice a few circles on the forehand (moving the haunches around so that the back legs are crossing over each other and the front end stays stationary) and on the haunches (rear stays stationary and front legs cross over). Once you've got those down pat, move to a wall or fence and ask front end, hind end, front end, hind end, until the horse is moving sideways smoothly. Keep in mind it's more difficult for your horse to bend in the direction it's sidepassing, so if they are a little crooked at first, it's alright.

Since the wall/fence is there to keep the horse from going forward, try not to tug on the halter anymore than you have do. I hold onto it and stand at the horse's side, facing the horse's rear, and barely nudge the horse's nose toward me as I ask it to step to the side.

thank you! But how do you teach your horse to move on the forehand and the haunches? Thanks =)

thank you! But how do you teach your horse to move on the forehand and the haunches? Thanks =)

First teach him the concept. Tap your horse on the rump until he moves his butt away from you (just his butt - front legs stationary - and you want his back legs to cross). As soon as he does, reward him by leaving him alone for a second. Eventually you want to be able to just barely touch his hip and he'll move. Once he does that, he's grasped the concept of moving over on his forehand. Then you teach him the cue: Start tapping him where your leg would be touching him - on his barrel - till he moves over.

Shoulders can be a bit more difficult. The weight needs to be on his hindquarters, so shift him back with the halter until he looks like he is about to take a step back. When you ask him to move his shoulder over, tap tap tap with the whip and sort of walk into his shoulder, to encourage him to move. You remove each 'crutch' one at a time... first you stop using the halter, then you stop walking into the shoulder, etc. All you want to have to do is tap, and get him to cross over. Then you'll tap him on his barrel, but closer to where the girth will be. You don't tap in the same area that you would if you were asking to move the hindquarters over.

I would teach him the basics and get him very comfortable with them before you start doing difficult maneuvers. W/T/C on the rail, w/t/c figure eights, w/t/c circles
Then move to leg yields, then you can teach him to side pass.. then to do haunches in and shoulder in.

It makes a lot of muscle to pull them off correctly as the horse needs to be 'round' and using the hind end and of course balanced!

I would teach him the basics and get him very comfortable with them before you start doing difficult maneuvers. W/T/C on the rail, w/t/c figure eights, w/t/c circles
Then move to leg yields, then you can teach him to side pass.. then to do haunches in and shoulder in.

It makes a lot of muscle to pull them off correctly as the horse needs to be 'round' and using the hind end and of course balanced!

He's only two... sidepassing (or yielding HQ and FH) is much less strenuous on his growing body than W/T/C and figure 8s. Sidepassing, if started on the ground, is a good maneuver to teach.

Yes, I am riding him.. He has never ever bucked or reared and is a very easy going horse.. I am currently teaching him to neck rein and he is fine with that too. Thank you for all the advice and if you think of anything else,please let me know. Thanks =)

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